Royal Dutch Shell was reported last June to have been interested in buying the Paris-listed business, which has assets in Africa and Latin America. Photo: BLOOMBERG NEWS

State-backed Indonesian company Pertamina has made an indicative offer for Maurel & Prom and is in talks to buy the business, City sources claimed.

Royal Dutch Shell was reported last June to have been interested in buying the Paris-listed business, which has assets in Africa and Latin America.

However, sources said Pertamina is working with bankers from Societe Generale on a takeover and could be willing to offer up to €19 (£16) a share for the company. The Indonesian group is said to be hungry for fresh oil and gas reserves because Indonesia became a net importer in 2004 following declining production from its maturing fields and growing consumption from its own economic growth.

At the end of last year Pertamina considered offering $23 (£15) a share for Aim-listed Coastal Energy, which has assets in the Gulf of Thailand, but dropped its bid after failing to agree a price acceptable to the London-listed company’s shareholders.

Pertamina did not respond to calls for comment. Maurel & Prom declined to comment.

Meta

Whatever fig leaves they might be trying to use to hide the truth, Shell and Eni paid over $1bn to a company called Malabu for the OPL 245 licence. Even though the payment was channelled through the Nigerian government, it was clear that Shell knew that the ultimate beneficiary was Dan Etete, the former minister of petroleum. Etete is the owner of Malabu, to whom he awarded the licence when he was Nigerian Minister of Petroleum.

Shell Controversies

A selection of memorable warnings/articles/images associated with the controversial track record of Royal Dutch Shell.

WARNING: DO NOT DISCLOSE YOUR IDEAS TO SHELL GameChanger OR SHELL Ideas360 WITHOUT TAKING EVERY POSSIBLE PRECAUTION. Shell management has ample funds to pay for intellectual property but prefers to steal it from small businesses and in our experience, gives its full backing to dishonest managers willing to do its bidding. We have sued Shell repeatedly in the High Court for the theft of our Intellectual Property. It is doubtful if anyone can match our dire experience in dealing with this ruthless unscrupulous serial poacher of other parties ideas. Expect threats, legal machinations and sinister action from Shell and its spooks if you object to having your ideas stolen.

Some years ago extensive documentary evidence was brought to the attention of Malcolm Brinded above, when he was Chairman of Shell UK, proving beyond any doubt that Shell executives had conspired to rig a tender for a major contract. A number of innocent firms were deliberately lured into signing confidentiality agreements and disclosing Intellectual Property to Shell under false pretences, in a carefully contrived plot. The firm which was awarded the contract never took part in the tender. One objective of the Machiavellian plan was to stop/delay IP trade secrets owned by the participants in the tender from being disclosed to Shell's rivals. This was achieved by outright deception, without paying a cent to the firms involved, who wrongly believed they were participating in an honest tender. Instead of sacking the ring leader, AJL - who had a personal relationship with the firm which miraculously won the race in which it never ran - Shell senior directors, including Brinded, gave AJL their full backing. Some of the Shell executives involved, including for example, Tim Hannagan, still hold high positions inside Shell - in his case, Global Brand and Visual Identity Manager. If Shell does not accept that this is a true, provable account of what happened, then it should sue for libel. How on earth is such predatory conduct compatible with Shell's claimed business principles?

Website information

DISCLAIMER: This is not a Shell website nor is it officially endorsed by or affiliated with Royal Dutch Shell Plc. Originally co-founded by the late Alfred Donovan and his son John, it is now operated by John, Shell's "No.1 Enemy", aided by an expert team, with invaluable support from retired Shell senior executives and officials as guest contributors and leaked information from Shell insiders.

Reserves Fraud

SIR PHILIP WATTS, THE GROUP CHAIRMAN OF ROYAL DUTCH SHELL GROUP, FORCED TO RESIGN IN 2004

Shell’s reputation was destroyed in 2004 after FIVE consecutive cuts to its hydrocarbon reserves covering 55% of its total reserves. US and UK financial regulators imposed $150 million in fines on Shell for securities fraud. Shell was also rocked by class action lawsuits.Sir Philip Watts
and Walter van de Vijver (whose headcut images appear courtesy of The Wall Street Journal) were among the Shell executives forced to resign. More details at the foot of this column.
MORE DETAILS: The Shell reserves scandal brought about
the end of the Royal Dutch Shell Group in its original form as an Anglo-Dutch partnership.
Shell Transport & Trading Co and Royal Dutch Petroleum were unified into a single Dutch owned company - Royal Dutch Shell Plc.
Sir Philip turned to religion and is now a very wealthy priest after receiving a payoff/pension package from Shell reportedly worth $18.5 million. Walter van de Vijver in contrast was the victim of a sadistic sacking by his Shell senior management backstabbing colleagues.

Royal Dutch Shell & the Nazis

Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.

MORE INFORMATION
Shell appeased and collaborated with the Nazis. The oil giant instructed its employees in the Netherlands to complete a form giving particulars about their descent, which for some, amounted to a self-declared death warrant. Shell used slave labor and was a close business partner in Germany of I.G. Farben, the notorious Nazi run chemical giant that also used slave labor and supplied the Zyklon-B gas used during the Holocaust to exterminate millions of people, including children. Shell continued the partnership with the Nazis in the years after the retirement of Sir Henri and even after his death. It was money generated on Shell forecourts around the world, profiteering from cartel oil prices, that funded the Nazi party and saved it from financial collapse. Evidence about Shell's Nazi connections can be found in extracts from "A History of Royal Dutch Shell" Volumes 1 and 2 authored by historians paid by Shell, who had unrestricted access to Shell archives. There are 67 pages in total, so takes some time to download.

Photograph (full size here) shows a Swastika flag flying at the head office of Royal Dutch Petroleum, 30 Carel van Bylandtlaan, The Hague, during the Nazi occupation of the in World War II (From Image Database Hague Municipal)

Sir Henri Deterding, the founder of the Royal Dutch Shell Group - known as "The Most Powerful Man in the World" - who became an ardent Nazi and financial supporter of Hitler and the Nazi party.

Shell Blog

Texvette: John - Zik has a right to his views and expressing them on your site. However, in my opinion, your site is being "hijacked" by Zik. I find I am visiting the site much less since it has become Zik's Personal Forum.

Warri veteran: John, can you please give this Zik another platform? He hogs your Shell Blog with all his verbal diarrhea. And remember this is Nigerian diarrhea, very powerful stuff. Methinks he downs 4 bottles of STAR before fouling up your blog. Even the Londonlad got infected. Him done gone bush-oh. Eeh, his headengine gone crazy and he now also put de verbal diarrhea in de blog-oh. But he make more sense.

Zik Gbemre: RE: NEW SHELL MD IN NIGERIA
According to the subject report, the assumption that Nigerian Politicians are “honest and straightforward” is absolutely false. If they were, Nigeria with its ‘enormous oil and gas wealth’ would have become the “Dubia Of Africa” like we have in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). And like the Nigerian Politicians, the person of Mr. Osagie Okunbor, who has resumed as the new MD/Country of Shell (SPDC). Mr. Osagie Okunbor, is the exact opposite of such words like “honesty, integrity and straightforwardness”; hence we do not see him as the right replacement to take over the ‘good works’ left behind by Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu in Shell Companies in Nigeria.
The above report has claimed that Mr. Osagie Okunbor worked very hard and attained different levels of leadership positions in Shell (SPDC), but this is baseless because we know that it was the Edo State connections in Shell (SPDC) that projected Mr. Osagie Okunbor to the position of the VP Human Resources which he was occupying before this recent appointment as MD/Country Chair. He did not attain to that position on merit or hard work, as they are trying to make us believe.
The Mr. Osagie Okunbor we know, is an “Edo State tribalist bigot” who does not have what it takes to be MD/Country Chair of Shell (SPDC) Nigeria neither can he project Shell and its operations in Nigeria in good light. The Mr. Osagie Okunbor we know cannot manage/relate with host community stakeholders in the volatile Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
There is an element of ‘god-fatherism’ playing out in the selection/appointment of Mr. Osagie Okunbor as MD/Country Chair of Shell (SPDC). From what we can deduce, it is obvious that Mr. Osagie Okunbor was projected for the position of Shell (SPDC) MD/Country Chair for ‘selfish’ interests of a cabal in the Shell system. Out of the three past Nigerian MD and Country Chair of Shell (SPDC), two of them are from Edo State. Whereas, there are other ethnic groups like the Isokos, Ogonis, Urhobos, Ijaws, Itsekiris etc that are from the ‘core Niger Delta States. What happens to these other ethnic groups? Are there no qualified Nigerians outside Edo State that can fit in far better as MD/Country Chair of Shell (SPDC).
To put it bluntly, Mr. Osagie Okunbor, like most Nigerian Politicians, does not have the “leadership qualities” to even be considered for the position of the MD/Country Chair of Shell (SPDC) Nigeria. He does not have the capacity to carry relevant stakeholders along or manage Shell (SPDC) operations in Nigeria. He was only put there to serve the interest of a cabal. This is no exaggeration, but we are stating the bitter truth and the undeniable fact as we see it.
Zik Gbemre,JP.
National Coordinator
Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC)
No.28, Opi Street Ugboroke Layout, Effurun-Warri,
P.O. Box 2254, Warri, Delta State, Nigeria.
Tel: +2348026428271
+2348061524210
+2348052106013
Website: www.ndpc-zik.org
We Mobilize Others to Fight for Individual Causes as if Those Were Our Causes

Zik Gbemre: RE OGONI PEOPLE REJECT BELEMA OIL, EXPRESS FEAR OF STATE REPRESSION
We express our support to the enlarged Congress of the MOSOP Kingdom Coordinators and Chapter Leaders Forum that recently overwhelmingly rejected the takeover of Ogoni oilfields in the Niger Delta by Belema oil Ltd. This is hinged on the fact that Shell is said to be the one behind the Belema Oil Ltd Company that is currently instigating some Ogoni locals and Chiefs against the educated class, elites and Opinion Leaders of Ogoni land.
We are highly disappointed with, not only the Nigerian Government for not giving this issue the attention it deserves, but also Shell as an oil giant that has decided to sponsor Belema Oil Ltd to resurrect and instigate crises in Ogoni land. Shell has, through Belema Oil Ltd, fraudulently collected signatories as consent from selected Ogoni locals and Chiefs after inducing them with money and cow gifts, just to have their way in Ogoni oil fields. And like we said, this is typical of Shell’s style of operating in everywhere they are, especially in this part of the world; where they always project “Profit first before and above the lives and wellbeing of the locals that own the resources.”
Shell and Belema Oil Ltd should have known that the money and cow gifts given to selected Ogoni Chiefs and locals (for the oil giant to have their way in Ogoni land), will ONLY POSTPONE THE EVIL DAY.
Shell’s ‘thirst for drilling oil and gas’ in Ogoni land without the implementation of the UN recommendations on Ogoni land Clean Up and other issues, has completely blinded the oil giant to have warranted their choice of using an oil company (Belema Oil Ltd) that has no known track record to operate the Ogoni oil fields. And we are still finding it hard to understand what Shell (SPDC) will gain as a company if Ogoni land starts to ‘burn again’ with crises that would lead to the loss of lives, particularly the lives of the Ogoni elites and educated class and Opinion Leaders. What will Shell gain if human blood starts to flow again in Ogoni land just for ‘selfish interest of Shell and Belema Oil Ltd?
The same things we witnessed in the past that led to the death of Ken Saro-wiwa and eight others is gradually but steadily playing out in Ogoni land again with this “Shell/Belema Oil Ltd deceptive plot.”
Similar to what we have been hammering on for the past few weeks on this same issue, “the MOSOP chapter leaders noted that resuming any kind of activities at the Ogoni oilfields without resolving the issues of state creation for the Ogoni people as a distinct group within the Nigerian state, a proper clean-up of Ogoniland, and adequate compensation for the destruction of the environment will lead to another era of state repression and human rights violations in Ogoniland.” As reported in the link: http://www.ogoninews.com/ogoni/297-ogoni-people-reject-belema-oil-express-fear-of-state-repression.
The crux of the matter is this: ENOUGH OF THE SHELL-INSTIAGTED CRISES IN OGONI LAND THAT LEADS TO BLOODSHED OF INNOCENT OGONI PEOPLE.
Zik Gbemre, JP
National Coordinator
Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC)
No.28, Opi Street Ugboroke Layout, Effurun-Warri,
P.O. Box 2254, Warri, Delta State, Nigeria.
Tel: +2348026428271
+2348061524210
+2348052106013
Website: www.ndpc-zik.org
We Mobilize Others to Fight for Individual Causes as if Those Were Our Causes

Outsider: Both Londonlad and the students of Stockholm International School might find it useful to read Bjørn Lomborg's books on both climate change and misuse of statistics.

LondonLad: Plea to idiot Stokholm students - wake up and smell the coffee (see attached). That said, why doesn't Zik use some of the hot air he produces to heat peoples homes in the winter. Attached from a recent daily Telegraph.
The fiddling with temperature data is the biggest science scandal ever
When future generations look back on the global-warming scare of the past 30 years, nothing will shock them more than the extent to which the official temperature records – on which the entire panic ultimately rested – were systematically “adjusted” to show the Earth as having warmed much more than the actual data justified.
Two weeks ago, under the headline “How we are being tricked by flawed data on global warming”, I wrote about Paul Homewood, who, on his Notalotofpeopleknowthat blog, had checked the published temperature graphs for three weather stations in Paraguay against the temperatures that had originally been recorded. In each instance, the actual trend of 60 years of data had been dramatically reversed, so that a cooling trend was changed to one that showed a marked warming.
This was only the latest of many examples of a practice long recognised by expert observers around the world – one that raises an ever larger question mark over the entire official surface-temperature record.
Following my last article, Homewood checked a swathe of other South American weather stations around the original three. In each case he found the same suspicious one-way “adjustments”. First these were made by the US government’s Global Historical Climate Network (GHCN). They were then amplified by two of the main official surface records, the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (Giss) and the National Climate Data Center (NCDC), which use the warming trends to estimate temperatures across the vast regions of the Earth where no measurements are taken. Yet these are the very records on which scientists and politicians rely for their belief in “global warming”.
Homewood has now turned his attention to the weather stations across much of the Arctic, between Canada (51 degrees W) and the heart of Siberia (87 degrees E). Again, in nearly every case, the same one-way adjustments have been made, to show warming up to 1 degree C or more higher than was indicated by the data that was actually recorded. This has surprised no one more than Traust Jonsson, who was long in charge of climate research for the Iceland met office (and with whom Homewood has been in touch). Jonsson was amazed to see how the new version completely “disappears” Iceland’s “sea ice years” around 1970, when a period of extreme cooling almost devastated his country’s economy.
One of the first examples of these “adjustments” was exposed in 2007 by the statistician Steve McIntyre, when he discovered a paper published in 1987 by James Hansen, the scientist (later turned fanatical climate activist) who for many years ran Giss. Hansen’s original graph showed temperatures in the Arctic as having been much higher around 1940 than at any time since. But as Homewood reveals in his blog post, “Temperature adjustments transform Arctic history”, Giss has turned this upside down. Arctic temperatures from that time have been lowered so much that that they are now dwarfed by those of the past 20 years.
Homewood’s interest in the Arctic is partly because the “vanishing” of its polar ice (and the polar bears) has become such a poster-child for those trying to persuade us that we are threatened by runaway warming. But he chose that particular stretch of the Arctic because it is where ice is affected by warmer water brought in by cyclical shifts in a major Atlantic current – this last peaked at just the time 75 years ago when Arctic ice retreated even further than it has done recently. The ice-melt is not caused by rising global temperatures at all.
Of much more serious significance, however, is the way this wholesale manipulation of the official temperature record – for reasons GHCN and Giss have never plausibly explained – has become the real elephant in the room of the greatest and most costly scare the world has known. This really does begin to look like one of the greatest scientific scandals of all time.
By Christopher Booker, Daily Telegraph, 9th February 2015

Zik Gbemre: SHELL IS AT IT AGAIN INSTIGATING CRISES IN OGONI
We are still finding it hard to understand what Shell (SPDC) will gain as a company if Ogoni land in the Niger Delta starts to ‘burn again’ with crises that would lead to the loss of lives, particularly the lives of the Ogoni elites and educated class. The same thing we witnessed in the past that led to the death of Ken Saro-wiwa and eight others is gradually but steadily playing out in Ogoni land again with this “Shell/Belema Oil Ltd deceptive plot.”
Shell is said to be the one behind the Belema Oil Ltd Company that is currently instigating some Ogoni locals and Chiefs against the educated class and elites of Ogoni land. They have even gone to the extent of blackmailing and arm-twisting the Ogoni elites just to have their way in Ogoni land.
As far as we and many other relevant stakeholders in the Niger Delta region are concerned, this ‘Shell/Belema Oil Ltd business’ in Ogoni land is a complete fraud shrouded in secrecy and deception. If it is not, why is Shell through Belema Oil Ltd tactfully avoiding the Ogoni educated class and elites that have better understanding of the Ogoni Issue in the divestment of Ogoni oil fields? Why put the lives of these Ogoni elites on the line by making them be at loggerheads with their brothers and sisters they have succeeded in buying off? They fraudulently collected signatories from selected Ogoni locals and Chiefs after inducing them with money and cow gifts, just to have their way in Ogoni oil fields.
Perhaps, this is typical of Shell in everywhere they operate, especially in this part of the world; where they always project “Profit first before and above the lives and wellbeing of those concerned.”
Let it be known to all that the OGONI ISSUE HAS REMAINED UNRESOLVED. Shell has not played its part in the addressing all the atrocities and environmental degradation they have committed in Ogoni land. We simply cannot understand why Shell has not complied and completed the recommendations in the UN Report in addressing the Ogoni crises before they decided to divest Ogoni oil fields? Why all the haste? Why all the clandestine activities with Belema Oil Ltd in Ogoni land? Why is Shell fond of ‘using the backdoor’ to pursue and actualize their ‘profit-oriented’ objectives in their E&P activities, especially in this part of the world? When will this stop?
Shell seriously needs to ‘retrace’ its steps and holistically and transparently carry every Ogoni (both the educated class, elites and locals) along in whatever they want to do in Ogoni land; either through Belema Oil Ltd or any other oil company for that matter. Like we noted before, IF THIS IS NOT DONE, THE OIL BLOCK MAY BE SOLD, BUT IT WILL NOT BE OPERATED. The Ogoni people want to participate as ‘Partners’ in whatever Shell wants to do in their land. They want ‘full Inclusiveness in operations of the oil block’ and proper Engagements carried out across all social strata of the nation. Anything short of this will be futile and counterproductive.
Zik Gbemre, JP
National Coordinator
Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC)
No.28, Opi Street Ugboroke Layout, Effurun-Warri,
P.O. Box 2254, Warri, Delta State, Nigeria.
Tel: +2348026428271
+2348061524210
+2348052106013
Website: www.ndpc-zik.org
We Mobilize Others to Fight for Individual Causes as if Those Were Our Causes

Zik Gbemre: ON SHELL’S ALLEGED DECEPTION IN OGONI – WHY THE HASTE IN THE DIVESTMENT OF OGONI OIL FIELDS?
With more (investigated) revelations coming in as regards the subject matter, we are greatly appalled to find out that it is actually true that Shell (SPDC) is said to be the main brain behind the push for Belema Oil Ltd to buy over and operate the Ogoni oil fields. That means in the midst of all the ‘noise and controversies’ being made as a result of this, Belema Oil Ltd is just a ‘front’ of Shell (SPDC) put in place by the oil giant to protect its interests in Niger Delta of Ogoni land in Nigeria which have been shut down for over 22 years following the mass protest by the people and civil disturbance in the area (which led to the murder of human rights activist Ken Saro-wiwa and eight others), occasioned by the total neglect and injustice on the people by the Nigerian government and the Shell Petroleum Development Company-SPDC.
As had reported in our past write ups, Shell is said to have sold its oil blocks in Ogoni land to Belema Oil Ltd, and drilling is set to commence as the company has reached agreement with some community chiefs who are said to being used to collate signatures endorsing the sale of the oil and gas in Ogoniland. Some top Shell officials are believed to, not only have strong links with the company, but are also the ones behind every of its moves in Ogoni land.
As we speak, Shell (SPDC) is using its usual deceptive strategy of “divide and rule” in Ogoni Land to actualize its objectives. At the moment, Shell is said to be the one behind Belema Oil Ltd that is buying and delivering cows and ‘gifts’ to selected locals and community Chiefs/leaders in Ogoni land. And in doing this, Shell is cleverly trying to boycott and bypass the educated class, elites and opinion leaders of Ogoni. In fact, right now, Shell is said to be using Belema Oil Ltd to instigate some of the Ogoni locals and Chiefs against the Ogoni elites – teaming them as “city-based” elites of Ogoni indigenes.
Shell seems to have forgotten that without the ‘active’ inputs, participation, contribution and being-carried-along of the Ogoni elites, educated class and opinion leaders, no oil company will succeed in operating any Ogoni oil field. Why should Shell want to bypass these educated (elites) relevant stakeholders of Ogoni people? Have they forgotten that it was the same educated class and elites like Ken Saro-wiwa that brought the ‘Ogoni Issue and Crises’ to lime light and international attention? So why boycott them with this deceptive strategy using Belema Oil Ltd as a front?
As we noted in one of our last write up, community sources revealed that that some Ogoni community leaders were recently flown to Lagos to hold secret meetings on the oil block sale and may have been compromised after which they received documents with which to collect signatures from the Ogoni people as consent to the sale of Ogoni Oil.
The same strategy they have been known for using in different parts of the Niger Delta region to cheat and defraud the locals from having ‘ample opportunities’ to become “partners” in owing and benefitting from their God-given resources, that is exactly what Shell is repeating again in Ogoni land.
For an oil company that has no known track record and history of operating any oil fields, one begins to wonder why Shell, with its enormous global repute in oil and gas E&P, should decide to use Belema Oil Ltd to operate in the very sensitive Ogoni land. More so, why all the haste in the divestment of the oil fields in Ogoni land without first addressing the accumulated years of environmental degradation and pressing issues affecting the Ogoni people. Why the hurry? It is obvious that those concerned are too much in hurry to divest the said oil bloc without first addressing the problems of the Ogoni host community or even carry all relevant stakeholders along in the entire process. It is as if the oil company, Belema Oil Ltd, is being forced down the throat of the Ogoni people.
Like we repeatedly said before, the elites and educated class and opinion leaders of Ogoni have detailed a breakdown of what they expect to drive any agreements to herald resumption of oil and gas activities in Ogoni. And we strongly believe that whichever oil company that wants to partake in the Shell Divestment in Ogoni OML 11, such company must carry these group of persons along.
Zik Gbemre, JP
National Coordinator
Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC)
No.28, Opi Street Ugboroke Layout, Effurun-Warri,
P.O. Box 2254, Warri, Delta State, Nigeria.
Tel: +2348026428271
+2348061524210
+2348052106013
Website: www.ndpc-zik.org
We Mobilize Others to Fight for Individual Causes as if Those Were Our Causes

Zik Gbemre: A DETAILED FOLLOW-UP ON THE ALLEGED SHELL DECEPTION IN OGONI
The above subject matter has in the past few days, generated quite a storm as more details regarding the issue raised have started flooding in from different concerned stakeholders who completely agreed with us that indeed, there is a deception in the whole game plan. As regards this issue, many have noted, it is a calculated conspiracy to deny Ogoni people their rights to participation in E&P activities and access to means to end the many years of economic deprivation. The truth of the matter is that there are some greedy political powers behind this, and it is the trademark of the corruption in the industry. It is doubtful if any true Ogoni person will just sit and allow a single company with no track record or corporate structure to take over oil fields without addressing pertinent issues that resulted from the many years of crises.
Every social group is free to express their views, and so the Ogoni Chiefs and youths have indicated what they want. But there are other social groups who show more concern for Ogoni problems and have better understanding of the complex issues. Their voices and views will also be heard.
To this end, below here is a (sourced) detailed breakdown of what the elites and educated class and opinion leaders expect to drive any agreements to herald resumption of oil and gas activities in Ogoni. Also below here is a list of promises by the said Belema Oil Ltd. And looking at it carefully, it does not take an Einstein to see that they are all UNACHIEVABLE; BUT JUST A WISH LIST AIMED AT DECEIVING POOR AND ILL-INFORMED MEMBERS OF THE HOST COMMUNITIES (LOCALS).
POSITION OF OGONI LEADERSHIP FORUM ON PROPOSED DIVESTMENT OF OIL FIELDS IN OGONI (OML 11) BY SHELL PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
The Ogoni Leadership Forum is made of senior Ogoni indigenes, elites and opinion leaders with diverse experience spanning business, engineering, politics, law, academics and corporate leadership. The group has met severally on issues concerning the sociopolitical and economic development of Ogoni, and has shown interest in the proposed divestment of Shell (SPDC) from OML 11. Their primary goal is protection of Ogoni interest and ensuring that the best deal is structured for sustainable economic development of Ogoni people, and protection of the environment. The Forum has held meetings with Shell and prospective investor interested in purchasing the 45% JV divestible equity in OML 11, and is open to meet with others with similar interests that affect development of the hydrocarbon resources within Ogoni, so that they can guide the decision making process and advise Ogoni nation appropriately.
The following were presented as minimum expectations, or terms and conditions to be considered to secure the support of Ogoni:
1. Engagement of all the major community social groups and organizations (Chiefs, Youths, Women, Elites, MOSOP, KAGOTE, etc) is necessary to secure the Social License (LTO) to guarantee freedom to operate on completion of the Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA).
2. Investor to make an unequivocal commitment to support and work with all stakeholders, to ensure full implementation of the UNEP report.
3. Accept the model of PARTNERSHIP for Ogoni in a Joint Venture arrangement, giving equity stake of at least 20% in the operating company. This partnership is to be formed through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), a company with significant ownership by Ogoni people as investors. They will be listed on the CAC documents and hold the equity as Trustees on behalf of Ogoni.
4. The profit sharing model is not acceptable, as declaration of profits is subjective and is at the discretion of the operator who has the sole right. In such situations, operators will deduct operating expenses, taxes and royalties, interest on borrowed money, and declare what cannot be verified or audited. The communities end up with nothing.
5. Ogoni to be represented by their nominees on the board of the operating company or the company that takes over from Shell.
6. The top management of the company to have members from Ogoni in key positions of decision making.
7. In line with Nigerian Content Act of 2010, Ogoni people should be given first preference in contracts to be awarded. This is the sure way to spread the dividends and ensure spread of wealth across Ogoni.
8. Qualified youths and skilled persons from Ogoni to be fully employed. Those who desire work but lack the skills should be given the training to develop their skills and competences to improve their level of capabilities to function effectively in the oil industry. In addition to this, run a scholarship scheme targeted at development of management level and senior professional personnel from Ogoni.
9. Establish the main operational office with decision making authority within an Ogoni oil producing community, or preferably in Bori, the traditional headquarters of Ogoni.
10. Follow-up successful exploration and production with establishment of gas based and petrochemical industries for employment and wealth generation; and IPP for power generation to stimulate growth of SMEs. The Ogoni environment is precious and sacred, and must be protected. Consequently, only companies with sound Technical capability, financial strength and good operating track record should be supported and given the social license. Our goal is to end poverty and economic slavery in Ogoni. This is possible if we participate fully in the business of oil and gas exploration, development and production of Ogoni oil fields.
It is imperative for the Ogoni people to just remain calm and ask questions. No need for the Ogoni people to rush into agreements that will impoverish and enslave them for decades to come. Shell should be encouraged to pursue the divestment process in a ‘transparent manner’ as a respected professional corporate organization. Due process should be followed and Ogoni people carried along to avoid future problems, and not some ‘selected’ Ogoni leaders who might not have the entire mandate of the people to go into such an agreement.
More so, there are many other qualified companies out there who have shown interest and they should [...]

Zik Gbemre: A FOLLOW-UP ON THE ALLEGED SHELL DECEPTION IN OGONI
We consider it necessary to categorically state here that the essence of our earlier write up on the subject issue was to draw the attention of relevant stakeholders in Shell and for them not to take this ‘Ogoni story’ (as reported here: http://www.dailytimes.com.ng/article/shell-belema-oil-deal-affront-ogoni-struggle-%E2%80%93-erafoen), for granted but give it the necessary attention. This is because the said story was exactly some of the circumstances that had led to the infamous Ogoni Crises which led to the death of the “Ogoni 9” and greatly affected the global image of Shell.
The said ‘Ogoni story’ are not speculations as others might want us to believe, but they are facts. Relevant stakeholders would agree that “there is no smoke without fire” and for situations like this one, there is always an ‘element of truth’. More so, Shell does not know it all, hence, concerned stakeholders like us will always raise a ‘red flag’ when we see things trying to repeat itself. That is why we are asking that Shell should not downplay this issue like they always do with many similar issues and try to justify their every action.
What we expected Shell to do as regarding the subject story was investigate, ask relevant questions and make amends where necessary. For instance, is there a company by the name Belewa Oil Ltd? If there is, what is their relationship with Shell and the Ogoni people? If there was an alleged signed pact between some leaders of the Ogoni community and the said company with Shell, does the community leaders concerned have ‘the complete mandate’ of its people to do so? Even the community leaders that were alleged that their signatories were collected concerning the deal; the question is do they have the complete mandate of the Ogoni people?
These and many more are the questions. This is important because, considering the fact that community leadership changes from time to time, the said oil company and Shell might be dealing with the ‘wrong set of community persons’. Again, it was this sort of ‘confusion’ that contributed greatly to the Ogoni crises that led to the death of human rights activist Ken Saro-wiwa and the eight others. More so, how can Shell be divesting a place where it has problems that have not been resolved with the host community? The fact that Shell did this in their Western Operations in the Niger Delta and ran to the East, also in the Niger Delta, that does not mean it will also work in Ogoni, where more environmental atrocities have been committed by the oil giant.
The cross of the matter is that Shell is not sincere in holistically addressing the Ogoni Issue, otherwise, the above Ogoni story will not have come up in the first place. Let us reiterate here that the above Ogoni story and how it is being handled by Shell, has the propensity to ‘resurrect’ the Ogoni crises.
Zik Gbemre, JP
National Coordinator
Niger Delta Peace Coalition(NDPC)
No.28, Opi Street Ugboroke Layout, Effurun-Warri,
P.O. Box 2254, Warri, Delta State, Nigeria.
Tel: +2348026428271
+2348061524210
+2348052106013
Website: www.ndpc-zik.org
We Mobilize Others to Fight for Individual Causes as if Those Were Our Causes

Reading between the lines in various legal documents, it seems that the allegations are that after the technology in question had been disclosed to a Shell company in the USA, the information was passed to Shell in the Netherlands in breach of confidentiality. And Royal Dutch Shell subsequently exploited the technology without payment or credit to the company holding the rights; Newton Research Partners. The inference seems to be that Twister B.V. was founded by Shell partly on trade secrets stolen from Bloom/Newton.

IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS:

THIS IS WHAT IT SAID:

Subject: This could be the most important whistleblower email you have ever received.

Some unfortunate Royal Dutch Shell workers have already lost their lives. More lives are at stake.

My name is Bill Campbell. I am a former Group Auditor of Shell International. I am writing to you on a matter of conscience in an effort to avert the inevitability of another major accident in the North Sea. The consequences could potentially impact on families in many constituencies, including your own.

As Royal Dutch Shell and the Health & Safety Executive would acknowledge, I am an expert on safety matters relating to offshore oil and gas platforms. In 1999, I was appointed by Shell to lead a safety audit on the Brent Bravo platform. The audit revealed a platform management culture that basically gave a higher priority to production than the safety of Shell employees. To our astonishment we discovered that a "Touch F*** All" policy was in place. Worse still, safety records were routinely falsified and repairs bodged.

I personally brought the shocking situation to the attention of senior management including Malcolm Brinded, the then Managing Director of Shell Exploration & Production. I revealed that ESDV leak-off tests were purposely falsified, not once but many times and that Brent Bravo platform management had admitted responsibility for the dangerous practices being followed. In response to my team ringing alarm bells, management pledged to rectify the serious problems which had been uncovered.

When I later complained that the pledges were not being kept, I was removed from my oversight function.

Four years later, a massive gas leak occurred on the platform. Two workers lost their lives. I have no doubt at all that the inaction of the relevant Asset Manager, the General Manager, the Oil Director and Malcolm Brinded, contributed in some part to the unlawful killing of two persons on Brent Bravo in September 2003.

Shell subsequently pleaded guilty to breaches of the HSE regulations and a record-breaking £900,000 fine was imposed. I thought this would bring about a real change in policy to put the emphasis on safety.

Unfortunately I was wrong. Although I supplied the evidence related to 1999, and the fact that there had been a collapse in controls of integrity from 1999 to 2003 on all 16 of Shell's North Sea offshore installations covered in a post fatality integrity review to the HSE for review by the Procurator Fiscal, none of this evidence was presented before the Sheriff at the subsequent Inquiry. The situation is explained in a letter to the Procurator Fiscal and the Sheriff (on 24th February 2007).

Shell management has engaged in spin to try to pretend that it is getting to grips with its safety problem. However, its atrocious safety record - the worst in the North Sea in terms of accidental deaths and absolute number of enforcement actions – tells a different story. This fact has resulted in a number of newspaper articles.

I have had meetings with senior Shell people including its CEO Mr. Jeroen van der Veer. I regret to say that I have found him to be economical with the truth. He prefers to support cover-up and deceit rather than confronting the underlying problems. Brinded is now Executive Director of Shell Exploration & Production. He believes in burying evidence.

My family and friends would probably prefer me to give up on this matter and enjoy my retirement after so many years working for Shell.

However, by writing to every MP in the UK, no one can ever say that I did not do my best to avert an inevitable further major accident event in the North Sea. When it happens (I pray that I am wrong) I will make this warning communication available to the media together with the vast amount of evidence in my possession.

At least my conscience is clear. I have done everything possible to ring the alarm bells about Shell management and its unscrupulous attitude to the safety of its employees.

Yours sincerely
Bill Campbell

ENDS

(Malcolm Brinded and Jeroen van der Veer are no longer with Shell. The Oil Director referred to in the email is Chris Finlayson, who left Shell to become Chief Executive of British Gas before being fired - his photo immediately below)

by John Donovan

Displayed below are some of the spectacular promotional campaigns my company Don Marketing created for Shell in the 1980s and 1990s. This was before the series of SIX high court actions we brought against Shell for stealing ideas (4) and for defamation (2) - all settled by Shell. This website is a permanent response by me to the malicious underhand tactics, including treachery, espionage and intimidation, used by Shell during and after the bouts of litigation. More information is printed at the foot of this column.
MORE DETAILS: After a solicitor acting for Shell threatened to make the litigation "drawn out and difficult" with the intention of draining the resources of a financially weaker opponent, my late father (Alfred Donovan) and I decided to mount a wide-ranging campaign as a counter-measure. We jointly founded the Shell Corporate Conscience Pressure Group, which nearly 15% of Shell UK retailers joined. We regularly conducted ethical surveys involving up to 1500 Shell petrol stations. All responses were opened and authenticated by an independent solicitor who supplied Affidavits confirming the results. In whole page announcements in trade magazines (examples above) we challenged Shell to commission and publish the resuits of independent research asking the same questions and offering respondents GUARANTEED anonymity. Shell never took up the invitation. Instead it asked the UK Advertising Standards Authority to investigate our Shell surveys. No problems were found. The head-cut image of Alfred Donovan appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.

Recent Comments

Links to a selection of published independent verifiable information relating to this website or its founders. Includes a TV documentary feature, newspaper and magazine articles, radio interview transcripts, newsletters etc, all also relating to Shell. All in date order. Includes a Newsletter from The One World Trust, an NGO with Special Consultative Status to the UN and a close relationship with the UK Parliament. Some links are to pdf files that may take a little time to download. All examples in English language only.